Why We Need You & You Need Us

As Legacy is slowly reopening (check out more info here), we've been noticing some things as we grow and expand in our community. It's not just a local issue, but it's happening all over the world as we adjust to our new normal.

As we continue to reopen Legacy in our Act Two season, Steven and I are most surprised by the limited number of people willing to contribute to the greater good - to something outside of themselves. The current societal climate has caused people to withdraw inward, becoming more individualistic, resulting in a significant decrease in volunteerism. Non-profit organizations are facing difficulties, as are churches, community groups, and community theaters, all of which are in dire need of volunteers.

We understand that people may have prior commitments or not be interested in volunteering or auditioning for a community theater. However, we often hear that the main reason for not volunteering is a lack of passion and a general apathy towards life, or we don't offer them the shiny new thing that will tickle their fancy. Some are also unwilling to step out of their comfort zone and do hard things; still, others lack the desire to reach beyond themselves to bless and help another.

Our community theater is a place where the power of community is displayed. People come together with a shared vision, all working towards a greater good. As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generosity of those who believe in our mission.

 
And what is that greater good?

 At Legacy, our greater good is providing a welcoming community through the arts and the talented performers on our stage. We offer a sense of belonging to those who may feel rejected by the world around them. Our love for people helps to mend broken hearts, and we provide a place of rest for the weary when life seems to tear them down. Furthermore, we encourage individuals to uncover their God-given talents, which may have been lying dormant. Plus, we provide a place where you can give all of those things to another fellow traveler on this path called life.

It is through our people that we give back to the greater good.
But we can only do what we do with people.

Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, says this,

"Our ordinary lives are given an extraordinary significance when we accept that our lives are about something larger. I do not need to be the whole play or even understand the full script. It is enough to know that I have been chosen to be an actor on the stage. I need only play my part as well as I can."

 The idea of joining to be a part of a production is scary when we think that we are the "whole play." We aren't looking for people to take on the whole play, the whole script, or the entirety of the mission. Steven and I are shouldering that weight. We are looking for people who can play one part as well as they can.

I understand this journal entry is a departure from what I usually write, but I am concerned about our community, our kids, our teens, and our families. We are withdrawing into ourselves, into our problems, into our living rooms, and in turn, we are becoming a society that is more lonely, anxious, depressed, and suicidal than any in history.

Friends, we need each other. We cannot do this crazy life alone.
If it's not volunteering and auditioning with us, consider our churches and community organizations needing your help.
They need what you can give.

 Don't believe the lie, "Someone else will do it. They don't need me."
That is a lie.
We do need you!

In 2011, I started Legacy with this mission, "There is something only you can do, there is a song only you can sing, there is something only you can say . . . you have a legacy."

WE NEED YOU! 
We need your gifts. 
We need your talents. 
We need your heart, and we need your love, and guess what? 

You need us, too.

If anything I've written resonates with you, if you have questions about auditions and the process or would love to try but are too scared, please email or call me, and let's talk about it. (910-548-6323/contact@legacytheatercompany.org)

Please consider sharing this post with someone you know who would be perfect on stage. Maybe even consider doing this with your family members. My son Asher, my husband Steven, and my mom all audition and act in our productions. We do Legacy as a family, which makes it all the more special, especially since our son is a teenager and we long to raise him in a safe community.

And please, share yourself with the world.
Life is better when you are in it.

Thank you for reading and contemplating these thoughts with me,
Erika Bain
- A fellow traveler in this crazy life.